1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heating panels, which are placed on a roof or in a rain gutter located adjacent to the roof of a building to prevent formation of ice in or around the gutter.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A common problem with rain gutters, eaves, valleys, sky lights, and other areas of a roof is that they can experience problems when freezing temperatures are encountered. For instance, water can collect in a gutter or on a roof, which then freezes and causes backups to occur. Once water begins to freeze, additional snow or water can collect and freeze along or adjacent to roof and the gutter. This issue can be exacerbated by runoff that results from the melting of snow and ice on the roof, which then runs down into the relatively cold gutter and re-freezes. As a result, ice dams may form in and around the gutter and on the roof. Further still, when the functionality of a gutter is compromised, large icicles can form on the outer surface of the gutter or up onto the roof. These icicles contribute significant weight to the gutter and the roof.
To avoid the freezing effects discussed above, various deicing devices are available that utilize electrical heating elements such as a wire or coil. The heating element can be mounted to the gutter, to a gutter guard the lies across the gutter, beneath the roofline, or on the roof itself. Assuming the gutter is metallic, the heat will be transmitted throughout the gutter to thaw any ice buildup and prevent further freezing.
In the past, a single heat panel containing an electrical heating element could be used to prevent ice formation. Different heat panel sizes were manufactured in order to accommodate deicing of various areas around the gutter or roof. Alternatively, in areas that required deicing that exceeded the width of a single heat panel, multiple heat panels could be used simultaneously. The multiple heat panels could be abutted against one another to encourage heat transfer amongst the heat panels. While effectively reducing the amount of ice formation in and around a gutter or a roof, there are several disadvantages to these systems.
For example, offering heat panels of varying sizes would require the manufacture and storage of different-sized heat panels. This increases the cost of production, storage, and distribution.
Additionally, where multiple heat panels are abutted against one another, there is risk that the heat panels can be displaced apart from one another, effectively preventing heat transfer from one heat panel to another. This can result in reduced efficiency and higher heating costs.
Thus, there remains room for improvement in heating panels for use in a gutter or about a roof by providing a system that uses a single heat panel configuration while accommodating different areas that need to be deiced.
Additionally, there is need for a fastener that can be used to connect multiple heat panels together while maximizing the efficiency of heat transfer among the heat panels.
There is additionally a need for providing an improved technique for heating gutters and roofs.